Loose-leaf binder



c. R. NELSON.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, I920- Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

p as- NELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A FIRM COMPOSED OF CHARLES ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO U. R. & W. A.

RUDOLPH LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application filed March 22, 1920. Serial No. 367,592.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES RUDOLPH NELSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and has for an object the provision of a device of this nature that will not come unlatched of itself, yet which may be readily opened when desired, and which is cheap to produce.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a binder;

ig. 2 is a detail plan view of a binder with the covers widely spread and partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 33 of Fig. 2, with the covers closed;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, to an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the keeper of the latch to an enlarged scale.

s shown, the binder comprises back members 10, 11, angular in cross section with their meeting edges hinged together, as at 12 to provide a channel shaped back. The ends of this channel are shown closed as by pertions 13, 14, which may be formed integral with one side of each of the angles 10, 11 and after being bent to form may have their edges secured to the end edges of the other side of the respective angles.

To hold the covers 15, 16, there are metal strips, as 17, 18, each comprising a single strip of material bent on itself and having its folded edge hinged to an exposed edge of the back member, as at 19. The covers 15, 16, are preferably formed of press or straw board and are preferably secured between the sides of the folded strips 17 18, by tongues 20 struck out from the material of strips and which, driven through the material of covers 15, 16, are caused to clinch against the opposite side of the strip 17 or 18 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

To hold the leaves in the binder, there are shown arcuate prongs, as 21, which accord ing to the usual practice are each secured to one of the back members 10, or 11 and project to a point closelyadjacent to or into a cavity in the other angle member 11 or 10.

To hold the back members 10 and 11 in their closed position the invention provides the form of latch shown which comprises a resilient member 22 shown as secured at one end to end member 13 of the back rivet 23. As shown, the member 22 is bent to provide a loop having portions 2 1., 25, at right angles to part 22, connecting portion 26 parallel. therewith and a thumb piece 27. he portion 24-. is shown as projecting through a slot 28 in end member 13. The catch portion 25 of the latch lies in a slot 29 when the back is closed.

0 permit ingress of the portion 25 into and egress thereof from the slot 29 the passage 30 is provided extending to the edge of the member in which the slot 29 is formed, thus forming of the passage and slot a T- shaped recess. To permit the portion 25 of the latch to pass through passage 30 said por tion is reduced by means of notches cut in its edge, as at 31, 32, to leave a neck, as 36, only slightly less in width than the passage.

he location of the notches is such that when the binder is closed one pair of shoulders produced by notches 31 and 32 will occupy a position, as at 33, midway of the thickness of the metal of end member 13. Under these circumstances if the corners provided by passage 30 be beveled, as at 34, 35, Fig. 5, the said corners will impinge on the shoulders provided by notches 31, 32, and will spring the latch inward so as to snap past these shoulders into a locked shut position. To unlatch the binder it is merely necessary to press inward on. thumb piece 27 when the neck 36 will be brought into alinement withv the passage 30 and allow the binder to open.

Changes may be made in the physical embodiment of the invention without departing from its scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. Inv a loose leaf binder, in combination, a back comprising gether and having end members closing edge to edge, a resilient member rigidly secured to one end member having an angular por tion projecting therefrom, the other end member having a slot provided with a passage extending to the margin of the member,

as by a angle members hinged tosaid angular portion having a reduced portion normally out of alinement with said passage but adapted to be sprung into alinement therewith to allow ingress and egress of said angular portion to and from the slot. 7

7 2. A loose leaf binder comprising, separable portions having abutting edges, a resilient latch member secured to one of said portions and having an angularly projecting element passing through a slot therein, a

' connectin "portion: extending from the end need portion of said e ement parallel with said binder portion past the abutting edges and a catch member projecting angularly from said conhaving a reduced neck, said I other inder portion having a T-shaped re- 3. A latch for a loose leaf binder comprising, in combination, binder portions having abutting edges, a resilient latch member secured to one of said portions and having an angularly projecting element passing through a slot therein, a connecting portion extending from the end of said element arallel with said binder portion past the a utting edges and a catch member projecting angularly from said connecting portion having a reduced neck, said other binder portion having a T-shaped recess therein, the narrow portion of said recess forming a passage adapted to pass saidneck when sprung into alinement therewith, the corners of the outlet of said narrow portion being beveled to cam the shoulders adjacent said neck to bring said neck into alinement with the passage.

CHARLES RUDOLPH NELSON. 

